CATEGORIES

Why can I mingle in a shop but not at rugby?

WITH professional and amateur community Rugby Union clubs teetering on the brink of bankruptcy and closure due to the lockdown there are elements of the British government’s handling of the Covid regulations regarding sport that appear to be contradictory or badly out of step with those that apply to the rest of society.

Ring-fence and cut wage bills to attract state aid

During the week, Premiership Rugby, issued a statement confirming that they had met with Oliver Dowden, the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, to seek a rescue package to help the clubs survive. Since then, in a concerted PR effort, a number of clubs have gone public on how dire the situation is.

World Cup winners will bring box office appeal

OUTSPOKEN AND UNMISSABLE... EVERY WEEK

Tom gives Tens a go to get fit for Tokyo

ENGLAND Sevens star Tom Mitchell aims to grab a rugby lifeline next month as part of a trailblazing World Tens Series slated to take place in Bermuda.

French had a rule: ‘When at home you never lose.' They did!

The picture of Serge Blanco and Jon Webb at the end of the ‘91 World Cup quarter-final that was in last week’s Rugby Paper brought back so many great memories of my seven matches (we won six) against les Bleus.

Eddie's long running love affair on the south coast

IN recent years Brighton College has emerged as a training centre for the England rugby team under Eddie Jones who uses the school’s outstanding facilities for short camps at the start of a new season or ahead of a summer tour.

Brighton's become a force under Buoy

Brendan Gallagher continues his series looking at rugby’s great schools

Bears dynamo Harry hopes to take his game to the next level

BRISTOL hooker Harry Thacker hopes a successful end to a thrilling campaign will put him into contention for the Autumn Internationals.

‘Chokers' tag hurts because it's justified says Kinghorn

EDINBURGH full-back Blair Kinghorn believes a team psychologist could help exorcise their knockout demons and shed a growing reputation for ‘choking’ on the big stage.

We'll try to test Exeter out wide says Biggar

DAN BIGGAR says Northampton won’t die wondering against Exeter in Sunday’s all-English Champions Cup quarter-final and admits it’s time the Saints got the better of the Chiefs.

Sevens must innovate or it will die warns Friday

USA Sevens head coach Mike Friday fears the short form of the game will die unless big businesses are encouraged to become involved in an IPL-style revolution.

Tigers have taken their medicine after bitter pill at Wasps

ZACH HENRY was once rated good enough only to play 4th XV rugby at Bath University and now he’s Leicester’s starting fly-half for the club’s biggest game on the regular-season calendar – the East Midlands derby against Northampton.

Mighty Leinster land the treble

LEINSTER became the first side to win the PRO14 title three years in a row when they had more than enough firepower to see off Ulster in the most surreal final in the history of the competition.

Sale's dirty dozen do job on Sarries

SALE moved up to second in the Premiership with victory over Saracens but were denied a bonus point which could be costly in the race to finish second and claim a home semi-final spot with just three games remaining.

Losing Faz won't stop us winning says Wray

SARACENS hero Jackson Wray will run out for his 250th game against Leinster in Dublin this Saturday believing his depleted side can pull off a shock for the ages and keep their season alive.

Fiji bring excitement but Georgians won't thrill us

I’M glad that the Eight Nations has been finalised, with Amazon the main broadcaster and Channel 4 showing three live games – Ireland v Wales, England v Ireland and Ireland v Georgia, plus highlights of all the others.

Listen Pat, Piutau's punch was not in self-defence!

After Tuesday evening’s Premiership match between Bristol and Northampton, Pat Lam decided to have his say about the three-match bans handed out to his captain, Siale Piutau and Worcester’s Andrew Kitchener following their recent punch-up.

Ex-teacher or Test star ...who's the best coach?

Dave Rennie, the new Wallaby boss from All Black country, has an amusing way of putting it. “Teaching, coaching – it’s the same thing,” he likes to say. “The kids are just a bit bigger.”

Ben Upping Game To Save England Career

Ben Youngs has played in some great Leicester teams in his 13 years as a first-team Tiger, but the scrumhalf says he has never been more excited than to be a part of the current group.

Spencer's try double puts Bath in control

BEN Spencer starred as Bath won their fourth successive Premiership game to earn a bonus-point win over top-four rivals Sale.

Goode's very good, Saracens are superb

ALEX Goode went on a three-day knees-up after Saracens beat Leinster in the European Cup final 16 months ago and he showed his dancing feet again in this quarter-final as the reigning champions defied the odds to bring the Irish side’s 25 match unbeaten run since then to a juddering halt in Dublin.

Marathon man Myler goes clear of the field

As from next month, Stephen Myler will have outlasted every single one of his fly-half contemporaries in Europe and beyond – the veterans’ veteran.

If we can't have a crowd we can't have a Championship

Motor industry executive and Ampthill director of rugby Mark Lavery tells NEALE HARVEY why the game is stuck in the slow lane and could face even tougher times ahead as clubs at all levels grapple with the financial fallout of the coronavirus pandemic.

Spencer must be given his chance against Italy

WHAT would I do with scrumhalf selection if I was Eddie Jones, with the decisive last round of the 2020 Six Nations at the end of next month and the Eight Nations tournament starting a few weeks after that?

Semi sizzles as seven-try Bears cruise into last four

SEMI Radradra produced another magical performance as Bristol progressed to the semis with a seven-try demolition of the Dragons.

Painful memories of tackling Jonah!

WHEN I left Cheltenham College, I was offered a job as a professional polo player for an American team.

Crafty Boks try to get the best of both worlds

SOUTH Africa are in danger of becoming the invisible world champions, but they have a plan. Or, more accurately, Jurie Roux, the SA Rugby chief executive, has a plan – which is to straddle both hemispheres by having a foot in each.

Unpaid Tier 2 players may have contracts cancelled

ON-LOAN Leicester wing David Williams claims Championship players are going unpaid as tier two clubs battle with the financially crippling effects of coronavirus.

Saracens head for their great showdown

BRENDAN GALLAGHER LOOKS AT THE MAKE-UP OF THE EUROPEAN CUP QUARTER-FINALS

Saints unravelled by Chiefs second-string

ROB Baxter admits Chiefs’ winning desire and determination surprises even him at times after his ‘reserves’ stuck a hefty boot into Northampton’s top-four hopes.